CLISP

Section: Platform: x86_64-pc-linux-gnu (1)
Updated: Last modified: 2009-07-28
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NAME

clisp - ANSI Common Lisp compiler, interpreter and debugger.

SYNOPSIS

clisp [[-h] | [--help]] [--version] [--license] [-help-image] [-B lisp-lib-dir] [-b] [-K linking-set] [-M mem-file] [-m memory-size] [-L language] [-N locale-dir] [-Edomain encoding] [[-q] | [--quiet] | [--silent] | [-v] | [--verbose]] [-on-error action] [-repl] [-w] [-I] [[-ansi] | [-traditional]] [-modern] [-p package] [-C] [-norc] [-lp directory...] [-i init-file...] [-c [-l] lisp-file [-o output-file]...] [-x expressions...] [lisp-file [argument...]]

DESCRIPTION

Invokes the m[blue]Common Lispm[][1] interpreter and compiler. When called without arguments, executes the m[blue]read-eval-print loopm[][2], in which expressions are in turn m[blue]READm[][3] from the standard input, m[blue]EVALm[][4]uated by the lisp interpreter, and their results are m[blue]PRINTm[][5]ed to the standard output. Invoked with -c, compiles the specified lisp files to a platform-independent bytecode which can be executed more efficiently.

OPTIONS

-h
--help

: Displays a help message on how to invoke m[blue]CLISPm[][6].

--version

: Displays the m[blue]CLISPm[][6] version number, as given by the function m[blue]LISP-IMPLEMENTATION-VERSIONm[][7], the value of the variable *FEATURES*, as well some other information.

--license

: Displays a summary of the licensing information, the m[blue]GNUm[][8] m[blue]GPLm[][9].

-help-image

: Displays information about the memory image being invoked: whether is it suitable for scripting as well as the :DOCUMENTATION supplied to EXT:SAVEINITMEM.

-B lisp-lib-dir

: Specifies the installation directory. This is the directory containing the linking sets and other data files. This option is normally not necessary, because the installation directory is already built-in into the clisp executable. Directory lisp-lib-dir can be changed dynamically using the m[blue]SYMBOL-MACROm[][10] CUSTOM:*LIB-DIRECTORY*.

-b

: Print the installation directory and exit immediately. The namestring of CUSTOM:*LIB-DIRECTORY* is printed without any quotes. This is mostly useful in module Makefiles, see, e.g., modules/syscalls/Makefile.in (file in the CLISP sources).

-K linking-set

Specifies the linking set to be run. This is a directory (relative to the lisp-lib-dir) containing at least a main executable (runtime) and an initial memory image. Possible values are

base

: the core m[blue]CLISPm[][6]

full

: core plus all the modules with which this installation was built, see Section 32.2, "External Modules".

The default is base.

-M mem-file

: Specifies the initial memory image. This must be a memory dump produced by the EXT:SAVEINITMEM function by this clisp runtime. It may have been compressed using m[blue]GNUm[][8] m[blue]gzipm[][11].

-m memory-size

Sets the amount of memory m[blue]CLISPm[][6] tries to grab on startup. The amount may be given as

n
nB

: measured in bytes

n
nW

: measured in machine words (4×n on 32-bit platforms, 8×n on 64-bit platforms)

nK
nKB

: measured in kilobytes

nKW

: measured in kilowords

nM
nMB

: measured in megabytes

nMW

: measured in megawords

The default is 3 megabytes. The argument is constrained above 100 KB.

This version of m[blue]CLISPm[][6] is not likely to actually use the entire memory-size since garbage-collection will periodically reduce the amount of used memory. It is therefore common to specify 10 MB even if only 2 MB are going to be used.

-L language

: Specifies the language m[blue]CLISPm[][6] uses to communicate with the user. This may be one of english, german, french, spanish, dutch, russian, danish. Other languages may be specified through the m[blue]environment variablem[][12] LANG, provided the corresponding message catalog is installed. The language may be changed dynamically using the m[blue]SYMBOL-MACROm[][10] CUSTOM:*CURRENT-LANGUAGE*.

-N locale-dir

: Specifies the base directory of locale files. m[blue]CLISPm[][6] will search its message catalogs in locale-dir/language/LC_MESSAGES/clisp.mo. This directory may be changed dynamically using the m[blue]SYMBOL-MACROm[][10] CUSTOM:*CURRENT-LANGUAGE*.

-Edomain encoding

Specifies the encoding used for the given domain, overriding the default which depends on the m[blue]environment variablem[][12]s LC_ALL, LC_CTYPE, LANG. domain can be

file

: affecting CUSTOM:*DEFAULT-FILE-ENCODING*

pathname

: affecting CUSTOM:*PATHNAME-ENCODING*

terminal

: affecting CUSTOM:*TERMINAL-ENCODING*

foreign

: affecting CUSTOM:*FOREIGN-ENCODING*

misc

: affecting CUSTOM:*MISC-ENCODING*

blank

: affecting all of the above.

: Warning
Note that the values of these m[blue]SYMBOL-MACROm[][10]s that have been saved in a memory image are ignored: these m[blue]SYMBOL-MACROm[][10]s are reset based on the OS environment after the memory image is loaded. You have to use the RC file, CUSTOM:*INIT-HOOKS* or init function to set them on startup, but it is best to set the aforementioned m[blue]environment variablem[][12]s appropriately for consistency with other programs. See Section 31.1, "Customizing CLISP Process Initialization and Termination".

-q
--quiet
--silent
-v
--verbose

: Change verbosity level: by default, m[blue]CLISPm[][6] displays a banner at startup and a good-bye message when quitting, and initializes m[blue]*LOAD-VERBOSE*m[][13] and m[blue]*COMPILE-VERBOSE*m[][14] to m[blue]Tm[][15], and m[blue]*LOAD-PRINT*m[][13] and m[blue]*COMPILE-PRINT*m[][14] to m[blue]NILm[][16], as per [ANSI CL standard]. The first -q removes the banner and the good-bye message, the second sets variables m[blue]*LOAD-VERBOSE*m[][13], m[blue]*COMPILE-VERBOSE*m[][14] and CUSTOM:*SAVEINITMEM-VERBOSE* to m[blue]NILm[][16]. The first -v sets variables CUSTOM:*REPORT-ERROR-PRINT-BACKTRACE*, m[blue]*LOAD-PRINT*m[][13] and m[blue]*COMPILE-PRINT*m[][14] to m[blue]Tm[][15], the second sets CUSTOM:*LOAD-ECHO* to m[blue]Tm[][15]. These settings affect the output produced by -i and -c options. Note that these settings persist into the m[blue]read-eval-print loopm[][2]. Repeated -q and -v cancel each other, e.g., -q -q -v -v -v is equivalent to -v.

-on-error action

Override (or force) the batch mode imposed by -c, -x, and lisp-file, depending on action:.PP appease

: m[blue]continuablem[][17] m[blue]ERRORm[][18]s are turned into m[blue]WARNINGm[][19]s (with EXT:APPEASE-CERRORS) other m[blue]ERRORm[][18]s are handled in the default way

debug

: m[blue]ERRORm[][18]s m[blue]INVOKE-DEBUGGERm[][20] (the normal m[blue]read-eval-print loopm[][2] behavior)

abort

: m[blue]continuablem[][17] m[blue]ERRORm[][18]s are appeased, other m[blue]ERRORm[][18]s are m[blue]ABORTm[][21]ed with EXT:ABORT-ON-ERROR

exit

: m[blue]continuablem[][17] m[blue]ERRORm[][18]s are appeased, other m[blue]ERRORm[][18]s terminate m[blue]CLISPm[][6] with EXT:EXIT-ON-ERROR

LANGUAGE REFERENCE

The language implemented is m[blue]ANSI[38]m[][37] m[blue]Common Lispm[][1]. The implementation mostly conforms to the ANSI Common Lisp standard, see Section 31.10, "Maximum ANSI CL compliance". [ANSI CL] ANSI CL standard1994. ANSI INCITS 226-1994 (R1999)
m[blue]Information Technology - Programming Language - Common Lispm[][39]
[formerly ANSI X3.226-1994 (R1999)].

COMMAND LINE USER ENVIRONMENT

help

: get context-sensitive on-line help, see Chapter 25, Environment.

(APROPOS name)

: list the m[blue]SYMBOLm[][40]s matching name.

(DESCRIBE symbol)

: describe the symbol.

(exit)
(quit)
(bye)

: quit m[blue]CLISPm[][6].

EOF (Control+D on m[blue]UNIXm[][41])

: leave the current level of the m[blue]read-eval-print loopm[][2] (see also Section 1.1, "Special Symbols ").

arrow keys

: for editing and viewing the input history, using the m[blue]GNUm[][8] m[blue]readlinem[][26] library.

TAB key

Context sensitive:

: • If you are in the "function position" (in the first symbol after an opening paren or in the first symbol after a m[blue]#'m[][43]), the completion is limited to the symbols that name functions.

: • If you are in the "filename position" (inside a string after m[blue]#Pm[][44]), the completion is done across file names, m[blue]GNUm[][8] m[blue]bashm[][45]-style.

: • If you have not typed anything yet, you will get a help message, as if by the help command.

: • If you have not started typing the next symbol (i.e., you are at a whitespace), the current function or macro is DESCRIBEd.

: • Otherwise, the symbol you are currently typing is completed.

USING AND EXTENDING CLISP

m[blue]Common Lispm[][1] is a programmable programming language. ---m[blue]John
Foderarom[][46].PP When m[blue]CLISPm[][6] is invoked, the runtime loads the initial memory image and outputs the prompt; at which one can start typing m[blue]DEFVARm[][47]s, m[blue]DEFUNm[][48]s and m[blue]DEFMACROm[][49]s.

To avoid having to re-enter the same definitions by hand in every session, one can create a lisp file with all the variables, functions, macros, etc.; (optionally) compile it with m[blue]COMPILE-FILEm[][50]; and m[blue]LOADm[][30] it either by hand or from the RC file; or save a memory image to avoid the m[blue]LOADm[][30] overhead.

However, sometimes one needs to use some functionality implemented in another language, e.g., call a m[blue]Cm[][51] library function. For that one uses the Foreign Function Interface and/or the External Modules facility. Finally, the truly adventurous ones might delve into Extending the Core.

FILES

clisp
clisp.exe

: startup driver (an executable or, rarely, a shell script) which remembers the location of the runtime and starts it with the appropriate arguments

lisp.run
lisp.exe

: main executable (runtime) - the part of m[blue]CLISPm[][6] implemented in m[blue]Cm[][51].

lispinit.mem

: initial memory image (the part of m[blue]CLISPm[][6] implemented in lisp)

config.lisp

: site-dependent configuration (should have been customized before m[blue]CLISPm[][6] was built); see Section 31.12, "Customizing CLISP behavior"

*.lisp

: lisp source

*.fas

: lisp code, compiled by m[blue]CLISPm[][6]

*.lib

: lisp source library information, generated by COMPILE-FILE, see Section 24.3, "Function REQUIRE".

*.c

: C code, compiled from lisp source by m[blue]CLISPm[][6] (see Section 32.3, "The Foreign Function Call Facility")

For the m[blue]CLISPm[][6] source files, see Chapter 34, The source files of CLISP.

ENVIRONMENT

All m[blue]environment variablem[][12]s that m[blue]CLISPm[][6] uses are read at most once.

CLISP_LANGUAGE

: specifies the language m[blue]CLISPm[][6] uses to communicate with the user. The legal values are identical to those of the -L option which can be used to override this m[blue]environment variablem[][12].

LC_CTYPE

: specifies the locale which determines the character set in use. The value can be of the form language or language_country or language_country.charset, where language is a two-letter ISO 639 language code (lower case), country is a two-letter ISO 3166 country code (upper case). charset is an optional character set specification, and needs normally not be given because the character set can be inferred from the language and country. This m[blue]environment variablem[][12] can be overridden with the -Edomain encoding option.

LANG

: specifies the language m[blue]CLISPm[][6] uses to communicate with the user, unless it is already specified through the m[blue]environment variablem[][12] CLISP_LANGUAGE or the -L option. It also specifies the locale determining the character set in use, unless already specified through the m[blue]environment variablem[][12] LC_CTYPE. The value may begin with a two-letter ISO 639 language code, for example en, de, fr.

HOME
USER

: used for determining the value of the function m[blue]USER-HOMEDIR-PATHNAMEm[][33].

SHELL
COMSPEC

: is used to find the interactive command interpreter called by EXT:SHELL.

TERM

: determines the screen size recognized by the pretty printer.

ORGANIZATION

: for m[blue]SHORT-SITE-NAMEm[][52] and m[blue]LONG-SITE-NAMEm[][52] in config.lisp.

CLHSROOT

: for CUSTOM:CLHS-ROOT in config.lisp.

IMPNOTES

: for CUSTOM:IMPNOTES-ROOT in config.lisp.

EDITOR

: for editor-name in config.lisp.

LOGICAL_HOST_host_FROM
LOGICAL_HOST_host_TO
LOGICAL_HOST_host

: for CUSTOM:*LOAD-LOGICAL-PATHNAME-TRANSLATIONS-DATABASE*

BUGS

When you encounter a bug in m[blue]CLISPm[][6] or in its documentation (this manual page or CLISP impnotes), please report it to the m[blue]CLISPm[][6] m[blue]SourceForge bug trackerm[][55].

Before submitting a bug report, please take the following basic steps to make the report more useful:

: 1. Please do a clean build (remove your build directory and build m[blue]CLISPm[][6] with ./configure --cbc build or at least do a make distclean before make).

: 2. If you are reporting a "hard crash" (segmentation fault, bus error, core dump etc), please do ./configure --with-debug --cbc build-g ; cd build-g; gdb lisp.run, then load the appropriate linking set by either base or full m[blue]gdbm[][56] command, and report the backtrace (see also Q: A.1.1.10).

: 3. If you are using pre-built binaries and experience a hard crash, the problem is likely to be in the incompatibilities between the platform on which the binary was built and yours; please try compiling the sources and report the problem if it persists.

When submitting a bug report, please specify the following information:

: 1. What is your platform (uname -a on a m[blue]UNIXm[][41] system)? Compiler version? m[blue]GNUm[][8] m[blue]libcm[][57] version (on m[blue]GNUm[][8]/m[blue]Linuxm[][58])?

: 2. Where did you get the sources or binaries? When? (Absolute dates, e.g., "2006-01-17", are preferred over the relative ones, e.g., "2 days ago").